History ComicBook / GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2008

* LethalJokeCharacter: Cosmo may look like a golden retriever in a Russian space suit (for a dog), but he has incredibly powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers. Examples of his powers include taking on Adam Warlock one-on-one, disabling all the rioting denizens of Knowhere single-handedly, and taking out the Cancer-verse [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] with a single stroke. [[IncrediblyLamePun As in he gave the Hulk]] [[DontExplaintheJoke a stroke/brain aneurysm.]] He's also very intelligent, wise, and decisive. There's a reason why he's Knowhere's [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership Chief of Security]].

** [[spoiler:Maelstrom luring Phyla and Drax to Oblivion's realm turns into a twin case of this. He needed Moondragon to actually be there in order for the trap to work, allowing Phyla to free her. And then, Phyla's relinquishing her [[GreenLanternRing Quantum Bands]] means Quasar is free to give them to [[{{ComicBook/Nova}} Richard Rider]], allowing him to save the Nova Corps.]]

* LethalJokeCharacter: Cosmo may look like a golden retriever in a Russian space suit (for a dog), but he has incredibly powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers. Examples of his powers include taking on Adam Warlock one-on-one, disabling all the rioting denizens of Knowhere single-handedly, and taking out the Cancer-verse [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] with a single stroke. [[IncrediblyLamePun As in he gave the Hulk]] [[DontExplaintheJoke a stroke/brain aneurysm.]] He's also very intelligent, wise, and decisive. There's a reason why he's Knowhere's [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority Chief of Security]].

The series lasted for 25 issues, and was followed by ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative'', which closed out the series. The series is followed by a new series was launched in early 2013 as part of the Comicbook/MarvelNOW relaunch, with Creator/BrianMichaelBendis writing and Steven [=McNiven=] on art.

* BeliefMakesYouStupid: The Universal Church of Truth, a fanatical group who zealously worship [[ComicBook/Warlock1967 Adam Warlock]] (who is in fact on the Guardians as they oppose the team) as their savior. Yes, they end up directly opposing their Jesus figure is on several times until his SuperpoweredEvilSide takes over and he leads the church. During the Realm of Kings event, they try to worship a baby EldritchAbomination, even after it ''bites someone's head off'' (they consider this a "blessing").

** Insulting Phyla's dad, Captain Mar-Vell, is not a sensible move.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In the Star-Lord series for ''Annihilation: Conquest'', Groot was capable of speaking complete sentences, and had a regal sense of dignity and pride about him. Starting around issue #10 he mainly just declares "I am Groot!" with nobody commenting on the change.

* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Phyla makes one of these with [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Oblivion]] to get Moondragon back.]]

* DiscardAndDraw: The post-Now! series typically does this with its SixthRanger swapping Iron Man for Angela, her for Captain Marvel, again for Venom, and him for Ant Man. As of the conclusion of ''All-New Guardians'' Nova joins to fill in the empty slot after [[spoiler:Drax quits the team]].

* DoppelgangerGetsSameSentiment: At the end of [[ComicBook/InfinityWars2018 Infinity Wars]], an alternate version of Moondragon and Phyla-Vell wind up in the regular universe. This Moondragon is immediately treated by Drax exactly like he would regular Moondragon, his daughter, and vice versa. Come ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2020'', the ''original'' Moondragon resurfaces, and is pretty unhappy that everyone's been treating this other, better, happier Moondragon like her. Even more so since everyone thinks she's dead, even though she isn't, and they never bothered ''checking''.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Phyla-Vell, killed off screen after fulfilling her obligation to Maelstrom and Oblivion by reviving Thanos. ]]

* GiantCorpseWorld: The team were based in Knowhere, a Celestial skull at the edge of spacetime where a city had been built to observe the end of the universe.

* ImHavingSoulPains:
** Moondragon says her soul 'aches' after her latest resurrection.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Ant Man's reasons for joining the Guardians mirrors Jack Flag's from the 2008 series. Scott even has the same role in the team's dynamic as the Earth-based hero who's completely out of his element in the series' space setting.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guardians_of_the_galaxy_2008_1.jpg]]

''Guardians of the Galaxy'' is a 2008 series by Creator/MarvelComics created by Creator/DanAbnett and Andy Lanning, featuring a new version of the ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy. Unlike the previous series, this series is set in the mainstream 616 universe and in the present time.

* ComeWithMeIfYouWantToLive: Said by ''Kang the Conqueror'' in issue #19.
* ConfessionCam: Used throughout the run.

* BeliefMakesYouStupid: Crops up at one point with several members of the Universal Church of Truth, who want to worship an EldritchAbomination... even after it bites off someone's head. They consider it a [[WhatAnIdiot 'blessing']].

* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: It is when you're fighting a cyborg-zombie that still has [[AndIMustScream some of its mind left]].

* ExposesToTheElements: Neither [[WalkingShirtlessScene Drax]] or [[{{Stripperiffic}} Gamora]] seem bothered by the cold when they visit a frozen planet.

* WhatTheHellHere: Most of the team is pretty unhappy with Peter when they find out he had Mantis mess with their heads to make them more willing to join the guardians.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guardians_of_the_galaxy2_5460.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:...Marvel Cosmic New School]]
-->''"Feels like someone turned the symbolic homage up to eleven."''

Years after the original comic ended, a new version, set in the mainstream 616 universe and in the present time, was created by Creator/DanAbnett and Andy Lanning out of the main characters from their two ''ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}'' [[BatFamilyCrossover miniseries events]]. In it, a few of the protagonists who helped solve the troubles of those series decide that the universe can't take another, and so organize a team to proactively go out and lay the beatdown on whatever troubles threaten to destroy everything.

The new version first appeared in ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' vol. 2 #1 (July, 2008). Their book lasted for 25 issues (July, 2008-June, 2010), followed by ComicBook/TheThanosImperative, which closed out the series. This was later succeeded by a vol.3 in early 2013 as part of the Comicbook/MarvelNOW relaunch, with Creator/BrianMichaelBendis writing and Steven [=McNiven=] on art.

The modern version of Guardians of the Galaxy (as well as the members of the group which consists of Peter Quill/Star Lord, ComicBook/RocketRaccoon, Groot, Adam Warlock, and the Phyla-Vell version of Quasar) have made their first appearance out of the comics in ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' in the episode "Michael Korvac" where they first showed up trying to capture a Kree Abductee named Michael Korvac for his crimes against the galaxy on Earth which led to their brief confrontation with the ComicBook/{{Avengers}}. After the Guardians introduced themselves and their reason of capturing Korvac, the Avengers decided to help them apprehend the mad-crazed cosmic being. Despite their best efforts, they were easily defeated by Michael until Corrina was able to help Korvac come to his senses which led to the latter's self-exile in the unknown reaches of cold space. Since Korvac's gone, Iron Man wanted the Guardians to tell them everything what other threats they encountered and known in the galaxy but Star-Lord prefers not to tell them, saying: "There are things out there in the universe you're better off not knowing about". Unfortunately, due to the cancellation of the series, the episode had [[AbortedArc never received a resolution]].

A live-action ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' movie, set within the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, was released in August 2014; with one sequel (''[[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Vol. 2]]'') released in May 2017 and another in production, set for release in 2023. The Guardians have also made the rounds in several of Marvel's mid-2010s animated shows, including ''The Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes'' (as said above), ''Anime/MarvelDiskWarsTheAvengers'', ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble''; largely using the movie team for cross-promotion (except for the ''Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode, which predated the final movie cast and used a different selection of modern team members). The Guardians later received [[WesternAnimation/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2015 an animated series of their own]] in 2015.

Thanks in large part to the movie's promotion and eventual success, this incarnation has launched several spinoff comics; with solo titles for all five members of the movie team; the aforementioned revival of the original team as ''Guardians 3000''; and ''Guardians Team-Up'', which pairs the team with various Earth-bound Marvel characters. The Guardians are also part of the 2015 joint BatFamilyCrossover ''Comicbook/TheBlackVortex'' with the ComicBook/XMen.

After ''Secret Wars'', the ''Guardians'' title returned with an updated roster that swapped out Star-Lord and Gamora for ComicBook/KittyPryde (Peter's fiancee at the time), [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]], and [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Agent Venom]], but the former two eventually returned to the team. In 2017, the title was relaunched as ''All-New Guardians of the Galaxy'', though it was retitled back to ''Guardians of The Galaxy'' midway through its run, and then essentially turned into ''ComicBook/InfinityCountdown'' ahead of the main ''ComicBook/{{Infinity Wars|2018}}'' event in 2018.

After ''ComicBook/InfinityWars2018'', the main ''Guardians'' title relaunched with an all-new lineup comprised of Star-Lord, Groot, Moondragon, Phyla-Vell (the latter two are alternate universe versions of the still-deceased 616 members) and newcomers Beta Ray Bill and Lockjaw. This new team is the most substantial update to the Guardians’ personnel since the 2013 relaunch ahead of their 2014 movie. Tropes specific to this series can be found in ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2019''. Then, at the end of the year, they got relaunched ''again''. Tropes for that series can be found [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2020 here]].

See the [[Franchise/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy franchise page for more details on the adaptations]]

!! ''Guardians of The Tropes:''

* AbortedArc: Drax starts looking for [[ComicBook/{{Annihilation}} Cammi]], but when the possibility of reviving his daughter comes up, he forgets all about her.

* AndIMustScream:
** Rocket Raccoon manages to stop a rampaging Thanos by threatening to paralyze him in his weakened state and trap him in an environment where he will never be able to attack anyone or even try to kill himself and reunite with Death.
** This is pretty much how the Fraternity of Raptors tortured [[spoiler:Robert Rider]]. After years of torture and sensory deprivation, they finally gave him a choice, join them and inflict his rage and suffering on others, or finally experience the sweet release of death. By that point, both choices were equally likely possibilities.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Issue 19 of Vol. 2 has half the main characters KIA by the time the issue is over. 22/23 reveals it was an illusion the whole time, with only Phyla dying in between issues 24 and 25.]]

** [[spoiler: The Kree homeworld of Hala experiences one during the events of ''ComicBook/TheBlackVortex'']].

* ArcWords: In Vol. 2, 'The death of the future tense'.
%%* ArchnemesisDad:
%%** Gamora and Thanos.
%%** [[spoiler:Star-Lord and his father]].

* BackForTheFinale:
** In the last issue, every member of the original Guardians appears... except Aleeta.
** The final issue of Vol 5 has every member from the 2008 team make a reappearance to help fight the Universal Church of Truth, except for Jack Flag (who was dead).

** Star-Lord and Drax the Destroyer reappear in ''Avengers Assemble'' Volume 2 with absolutely no explanation as to how they came back to life since the ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative''. It wasn't until the ''Original Sin'' tie-in we got an explanation.

*** [[spoiler:It's later revealed that Peter made a deal with Thanos for a truce for both of them to get out of the Cancerverse, though Drax's reappearance still remains unexplained. Although Drax's existence being restored by his creator when Thanos returned to life does have precedence.]].

* BadassFamily: In the [[ComicBook/MarvelOneHundredthAnniversarySpecial 100th Anniversary special]], Rocket Raccoon is accompanied by his 3 sons, [[ThemeNaming Uno, Duo, and Trey]] (whom he insists are just his nephews). They are just as nimble and combat ready as their father while remaining as cute as a button.

* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: [[spoiler:How Nova's brother Robbie ends up defecting to the Fraternity of Raptors. The Raptors locked him in an isolation helmet which completely destroyed his sense of time making minutes seem like years. This compounded with the fact that he didn't realize his brother was killed/trapped in the Cancerverse for several years made him feel abandoned by his family and allies. When given a final choice between dying with honor as a Nova denerian, or opposing his brother as a Raptor, Robbie chose the later and took on the mantle of Taloner/Talon-R.]]

** In issue 12, when Phyla is told by Maelstrom that he tricked them into coming to Oblivion and that Moondragon wasn't there she goes berserk, and starts trying to smash his head in with a stick.
* BigDamnHeroes: Issue 12, when Wendell Vaughn, the previous Quasar, appears just in time to save Drax from being fed to the Dragon of The Moon by Maelstrom. Subverted quickly when Maelstrom uses Wendell's quantum energy form against him.

* BreakingTheFellowship: The team breaks up in issue 6 when they learn [[spoiler:Peter had Mantis brainwash most of them into joining up]], with even Peter leaving. Rocket forms a new team out of whoever he could find, but the originals don't regather until the beginning of the War of Kings.

** Come vol 3, Rocket has the tendency to shout variants on "Blam! I murdered you!" in the midst of battle, which some of his teammates find disturbing.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In the Star-Lord series for ''Annihilation: Conquest'', Groot was capable of speaking complete sentences, and had a regal sense of dignity and pride about him. Starting around issue 10 of vol. 2 he mainly just declares "I am Groot!" with nobody commenting on the change.
** The first person in volume 2 to be able to understand Groot's language is Maximus the Mad during ''ComicBook/WarOfKings'' (and no one's even sure that he's not faking it). Come volume 3, everyone on the team seems to have no trouble at all understanding the big guy.

* ComeWithMeIfYouWantToLive: Said by ''Kang the Conqueror'' in v2 #19.
* ConfessionCam: Used throughout Volume 2

** In issue 2, Phyla brings up Moondragon's time with ComicBook/TheAvengers while talking about the floating chunk of Avengers Mansion the team found.

* CoolStarship: The Captain America briefly returns in issue 16. And then gets shot down by the Badoon.

** Phyla suggests in issue 1 that Drax is doing this, given he was made to kill Thanos, and having [[ComicBook/{{Annihilation}} having done that]] is not sure what to do next.

* DontCreateAMartyr: The reason Ronan gives for just banishing Star-Lord in issue 8, rather than killing him, since Peter is still popular with the Kree, even if Ronan hates his guts.

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Near-completely averted throughout the run, which keeps the narrative away from Earth the entire time. The only time it gets visited at all is for one page at the end of one issue, where Quill tells Reed Richards and the Initiative not to let the portal to the 42 Prison open, and again during issue 16, and even then during a bad future.
* EldritchAbomination:

** Also from issue 1, Drax mentions he sees himself as a liability. Sure enough, Drax's presence does bring trouble on the team, first during ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', and again during ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative''.
** From issue 7, while on a planet of soothsayers, Drax and Phyla are approached by one who asks them if they want to know about the "[[ComicBook/WarOfKings War between kings]]", or the [[ArcWords death of the future tense]]. Having not been present for Starhawk's arrival, and therefore not knowing what that means, they ignore it.

* FromBadToWorse: The situation with the blob monstrosity in issue 3. That would be bad enough, if some [[EliteMooks Cardinals]] didn't get involved and take out Adam, become getting absorbed by the thing themselves. Unfortunately, this just makes the blob stronger, so the team resort to KillItWithFire. Except doing so will also kill ''them''. No problem, until they realize they can't just bug out, thanks to Starhawk and Major Victory's brawl damaging Knowhere's teleportation systems.

* GroundhogDayLoop: [[spoiler:The classic Guardians in Volume 3 #14, who find themselves replaying their fight against the Badoon over and over thanks to something in the past, and decide to travel back and put a stop to it. A similar phenomenon motivates Starhawk's journeys back in time in Volume 2; in that case, it turns out to be the events of ''Comicbook/WarOfKings'' opening the way to the Cancerverse.]]

** Gamora experiences something similar in the 2017 series, attributing it to when her soul was briefly contained inside the Soul Gem. This kicks off her personal hunt for the Infinity Gems.

* LetsSplitUpGang: In the second issue of Volume 3, cut off from any and all back up, the team elects to just each destroy a ship apiece.

* MoreDakka: Rocket Raccoon's real super power.

* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: The Quantum Bands leave Phyla because she's slightly dead, yet Maelstrom has no problem using them, despite being much less alive than her.
** Possible FridgeBrilliance when you realize that the entire encounter occurred [[spoiler: in Oblivion's realm]]. Considering what [[spoiler: Oblivion]] was trying to get Phyla to do, it makes a lot more sense to separate her from the Quantum Bands first.
* MythologyGag:

** And again to Drax and Phyla in issues 12/13. They're OnlyMostlyDead, but it's close enough as makes no difference.

** ''Age of Ultron'' spawns a few more, including the one that brings Angela over from her dimension.

** Major Victory's fight with Starhawk in issue 2 breaks the Cortex Continuum, stranding the team on a Dyson Sphere for several hours, with no way to leave.

** When Cosmos tries reading Starhawk's mind in issue 7, and is startled when he finds nothing. It's an OhCrap moment for Starhawk as well, as she realises that means time is catching up to her.
** Also from issue 7, Rocket's reaction on seeing the massive Badoon war factory, which from the scale is at least a mile high, and mobile.
** Issue 11, when Drax realises Phyla's Quantum Bands have left her, meaning they actually ''are'' dead.

* TheReveal:
** All-New Guardians #9 reveals both that [[spoiler:Groot is stuck as a sapling because the Gardener killed and siphoned the life energy from him, leaving very little energy remaining in the splinter Rocket recovered]] and that [[spoiler:Mojo has recording devices secretly attached to Rocket from his last visit to the Mojoverse]].
** All-New #11 reveals that [[spoiler:Talonar is actually Nova's missing brother Robbie]].

* SeriesContinuityError: ''All-New Guardians of the Galaxy'' gets a couple of details about ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative'' wrong, such as claiming the Nova Corps had lots of people fighting the Cancerverse. At the time, the Corps consisted of Richard Rider, his brother, an old veteran and a handful of rookies, operating out of a beaten-up old spaceship.

** In issue 22, there's talk of having [[Series/{{Blackadder}} "a cunning plan"]] as Star-Lord and Rocket go to rescue Moondragon from the Church.

** Later series like Duggan's and Cates' had them headquartered in Star-Lord's ship as their job required them to be more mobile and they no longer had access to Knowwhere's teleporter.
** In Ewing's run, their headquarters is on Rocket Raccoon's homeworld of Halfworld, mostly because at the time Rocket and later Gamora were patients at the facility for both medical treatments and therapy.

* SpotlightStealingSquad: IGN summed up Bendis's handling of the team as "the Comicbook/IronMan and Rocket Raccoon show."

* TakingYouWithMe: Starhawk in issue 16, to some Badoon and their zoms, in order to buy everyone else a chance to flee. Complete with BadassBoast.

** In issue 2, as the team are standing on an iceberg made of frozen time, Quill declares he doesn't want any horrible surprises. At which point ''things'' start bursting free of the ice. And Major Victory.
** The very last line as well. Just after fighting an insane Thanos, Quill and Rocket share a drink, and talk about tomorrow. Quill actually asks [[ComicBook/TheThanosImperative what's the worst that would probably happen]].
* TimeCrash: The running plot of the entire run revolves around one, called The Error, which is what causes Starhawk to travel back in time. Later on, she mentions that time itself is falling apart at the seams. As it turns out the cause is [[spoiler:Thanos' resurrection.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: The Badoon are in the middle of this. When the team faces off against some [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zoms]], Rocket doesn't believe the Badoon could be capable of such things. Vance Astro claims that in just a few years, they're going to be even more dangerous.

* WhamLine: In issue 1, Mantis is talking about her role as a seer, and how it means she can't tell the team they'll decide on their name in a few hours. Without missing a beat, she adds "Just as I cannot tell them that in nine months they will be betrayed and killed by one of their own."

* WhatNowEnding: [[spoiler: After ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative'', the group disbanded with no leader. ]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Most of the team is pretty unhappy with Peter when they find out he had Mantis mess with their heads to make them more willing to join the guardians.

* WolverinePublicity:
** Marvel seems to be trying to raise Rocket Raccoon to this status.
** ComicBook/IronMan being added to the team in the Comicbook/MarvelNOW series is probably a case of this.

* WhatTheHellHere: Most of the team is pretty unhappy with Peter when they find out he had Mantis mess with their heads to make them more willing to join the guardians.

* AbortedArc: In vol 2, Drax starts looking for [[ComicBook/{{Annihilation}} Cammi]], but when the possibility of reviving his daughter comes up, he forgets all about her.

* ApocalypseHow: Several occur throughout Vol 2.

* ArchnemesisDad:
** Gamora and Thanos
** [[spoiler:Star-Lord and his father]]

** In the last issue of vol 2, every member of the original Guardians appears... except Aleeta.

** Star-Lord and Drax the Destroyer reappear in ''Avengers Assemble'' Volume 2 with absolutely no explanation as to how they came back to life since the ComicBook/TheThanosImperative. It wasn't until the ''Original Sin'' tie-in we got an explanation.

** [[spoiler:Thanos, after Drax killed him in ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}. This turns out to be Adam Warlock's fault, having found him immediately thereafter and placed him in a cocoon.]]

* BadassAdorable: Rocket Raccoon, Cosmos.

** At one point in vol 2, some of the team go through multiple bad futures.
** In the final issue of Cates run [[spoiler:the remaining leaders of the Universal Church of Truth return to their future where Thanos is heralding in the end of the universe. Wether or not this is Thanos' actions or simply the church trying to stop the natural entropic end of the universe is left unclear, but the imagery is terrifying regardless.]]

* BreakingTheFellowship: The team breaks up in Vol 2 issue 6 when they learn [[spoiler:Peter had Mantis brainwash most of them into joining up]], with even Peter leaving. Rocket forms a new team out of whoever he could find, but the originals don't regather until the beginning of the War of Kings.

* DrowningMySorrows: Quill begins vol 2 doing this, due to the recent mess with the Phalanx and Ultron taking over the Kree empire being sort of his fault.

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse:
** Near-completely averted throughout Vol 2, which keeps the narrative away from Earth the entire time. The only time it gets visited at all is for one page at the end of one issue, where Quill tells Reed Richards and the Initiative not to let the portal to the 42 Prison open, and again during issue 16, and even then during a bad future.
** Played much straighter by Vol 3.
* EldritchAbomination: They're trying to get through the negative space wedgies. From Adam's wording, the ones doing this by accident are the nicer ones.

** A rather straightforward example can be found in the very first issue of volume 2, where Mantis (who can see the future) states that within nine months a member of the team will betray the others. In the following issues, there are hints pointing towards several of the protagonists as the traitor, until we finally find out it's [[spoiler:Warlock. Though technically he didn't betray anyone, he was simply forced to let Magus, his evil side, take over him.]]
** Also from issue 1, Drax mentions he sees himself as a liability. Sure enough, Drax's presence does bring trouble on the team, first during ''Secret Invasion'', and again during ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative''.

* ForWantOfANail: According to Mantis, the team splitting up early in vol 2 wasn't meant to happen at all, and something (implied to be Starhawk) caused everything to change dramatically.
* FromBadToWorse: The situation with the blob monstrosity in vol 2, issue 3. That would be bad enough, if some [[EliteMooks Cardinals]] didn't get involved and take out Adam, become getting absorbed by the thing themselves. Unfortunately, this just makes the blob stronger, so the team resort to KillItWithFire. Except doing so will also kill ''them''. No problem, until they realize they can't just bug out, thanks to Starhawk and Major Victory's brawl damaging Knowhere's teleportation systems.
* FunnyAnimal: Cosmo and Rocket Raccoon
* GatlingGood: Rocket Raccoon
* GenderBender: In Vol 2, Starhawk re-reappears (after his first attack on Major Victory) as a "she". Later on, she explains it's because time is falling apart at the seams. Just winding up with a different gender is the least of Stakar's problems. The final issue has gender-bent versions of Charlie, Nikki and Firelord appearing among the other versions of the Guardians.

* GoodThingYouCanHeal: Stuck in a Dyson Sphere with no protection from the sunlight, and the teleportation systems down, with the means to restore the shielding a good distance from their location, Gamora points out she has a healing factor. She succeeds, but gets badly burnt in the process. It takes several issues for her skin to heal, with a few issues more for her hair.
* GreatOffscreenWar: The final issue of vol 2 mentions that the Guardians of All Galaxies, every potential version of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, fought in a war to prevent the multiverse falling apart because of The Error.

* [[HeroOfAnotherStory Heroes of Another Story]]: The Luminals, Xarth's Mightiest Heroes. They don't get on with the Guardians, which isn't helped by the fact that their boss Cynosure is a JerkAss.

* [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen They Who Must Not Be Seen]]: The Badoon refuse to show their faces to the Guardians. Apparently no-one is 'fit to look upon the beauty of the Badoon'.

* MoreThanMindControl

* MythologyGag: In the second issue of volume 2, the team find Vance Astro [[ComicBook/TheAvengers frozen in a block of ice]]. They even remark on the similarity, leading to Rocket Racoon's quote at the top of this section.

* OrificeInvasion: In one pair of issues, Moondragon has an EldritchAbomination stuff itself up her nose to incubate inside her.

* {{Retraux}}: A flashback in an early issue of vol 2 shows the Badoon invasion of Earth, with the Zoms and Badoon dressed like they were in the original Guardian's timeline.

* RiddleForTheAges: We never do find out why Major Victory was frozen, or what reality he comes from. Or why the block of ice had chunk of Avengers Mansion in it. [[spoiler:Or if he’s even Vance Astro.]] At the end of Vol 2, the original Guardians discuss this, and [[LampshadeHanging decide it doesn't matter where he came from]]. Incidentally, this version of the Major hasn't been seen since.

* SeriesContinuityError: ''All-New Guardians of the Galaxy'' gets a couple of details about ''The Thanos Imperative'' wrong, such as claiming the Nova Corps had lots of people fighting the Cancerverse. At the time, the Corps consisted of Richard Rider, his brother, an old veteran and a handful of rookies, operating out of a beaten-up old spaceship.

* ShipTease: Peter and Mantis get a lot of hints, but nothing ever comes of it before ComicBook/TheThanosImperative.

** In the first issue of volume 2, the team infiltrate a massive ship that looks like a giant cathedral which is flying into a NegativeSpaceWedgie. These are obvious references to ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', which features creator Creator/DanAbnett's most celebrated work. The flying cathedral-ship is also named the Tancred, which was the name of a Space Marine-turned-Dreadnought in an Abnett-penned 40K comic.

-->'''Jack Flag:''' It's a time-door!
-->'''Bug:''' Yeah? Full of Time-Energy? and Time-Swirlies? Jack, just because you put the word "time" in it doesn't -- [[VerbalTic tik]] -- make it any clearer!

* SuperheroesInSpace: In both incarnations, the heroes mainly stay off-world.

** The very last line of vol 2 as well. Just after fighting an insane Thanos, Quill and Rocket share a drink, and talk about tomorrow. Quill actually asks [[ComicBook/TheThanosImperative what's the worst that would probably happen]].
* TimeCrash: Vol 2 has a running plot around one, called The Error, which is what causes Starhawk to travel back in time. Later on, she mentions that time itself is falling apart at the seams. As it turns out the cause is [[spoiler:Thanos' resurrection.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: The Badoon are in the middle of this in Vol 2. When the team faces off against some [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zoms]], Rocket doesn't believe the Badoon could be capable of such things. Vance Astro claims that in just a few years, they're going to be even more dangerous.

* WalkingShirtlessScene: Drax

* WhatNowEnding: [[spoiler: After ComicBook/TheThanosImperative, the group disbanded with no leader. ]]

* WolverinePublicity: Marvel seems to be trying to raise Rocket Raccoon to this status.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Gamora in Vol. 2, who pairs it with {{Sideboob}}, VaporWear, and likely a few other related tropes. Frankly, it's probably a miracle of space-age future science that her clothing manages to stay on her as reliably as it does. Dropped in Vol. 3.

* LethalJokeCharacter: Cosmo may look like a golden retriever in a Russian space suit (for a dog), but he has incredibly powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers. Examples of his powers include taking on Adam Warlock one-on-one, disabling all the rioting denizens of Knowhere single-handedly, and taking out the Cancer-verse [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] with a single stroke. [[IncrediblyLamePun As in he gave the Hulk]] [[DontExplaintheJoke a stroke/brain aneurysm.]] He's also very intelligent, wise, and decisive. There's a reason why he's Knowhere's [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority Chief of Security]].

* GenderBender: In Vol 2, Starhawk re-reappears (after his first attack on Major Victory) as a "she". Later on, she explains it's because time is falling apart at the seams. Just winding up with a different gender is the least of Stakar's problems. Taken UpToEleven in the final issue, with gender-bent versions of Charlie, Nikki and Firelord appearing among the other versions of the Guardians.